The Palace Revolution Continues
I hate the phrase “winning the transfer window†because as good as a transfer might look at the outset there is a lot that can go wrong just the random misfortune of injury. However if ever a club transformed itself across one transfer window it was Crystal Palace last summer and well they are at it again.
Sam Johnstone has joined them on a free to add depth to the goalkeeping department and they have signed the excellent Cheick Doucoure for £18m from Lens a 22 year old defensive midfielder who will anchor the midfield and seems destined to replace Cheikhou Kouyaté who is out of contract.
It will be interesting to see what happens for the rest of the window. Palace have handled the transition from Hodgson to Viera adroitly, but the next wave of contracts are due to expire next summer with 13 players deals coming to an end. For the most part they are not first team regulars with one exception, Zaha who at 29 might be running out of road for the frequently rumoured big move and the club have one last chance of securing a fee. Roma are rumoured as being interested.
The Shambles from Las Ramblas
The headline news on Barcelona's business this straight forward
Inbound
Raphinha from Leeds £52m
Franck Kessié from Milan free
Andreas Christensen from Chelsea free transfer
Outbound
Philippe Coutinho to Aston Villa for £18.00m
Francisco Trincão to Sporting loan
Rey Manaj to Watford £2.25m
Clément Lenglet to Spurs loan
Which is very much “so whatâ€, they continue to offload fringe players and shuffle players around picking up two of the elite level free agents but that has a price in fees and wages.
As ever the devil is in the detail. Leeds have inserted a punitive late payment clause into the Raphina deal which they would only do if they thought there was a risk that Barcelona, one of the giants of European football, might not pay them on time.
However a bigger scandal surrounds the proposed move of Frankie De Jong to Man United which has stalled over £17m of deferred wages which would be due to the player, however it is very clear they have to sell De Jong to be able to fund the wages of the players they have already signed.
This is shambolic, someone La Liga or UEFA need to step in and make them honour their commitments or impose a transfer embargo until they sort themselves out.
The Song Remains the same
Chelsea’s first window in the post Abramovich era is interesting. Kalidou Koulibaly has joined from Napoli for £30m which goes someway to plugging the gap left by the departures of Christensen and Rudiger.
Raheem Sterling has moved from Man City for a fee of £50m. Basically he has joined Chelsea to replace Tino Werner who hasn’t ever looked convincing since joining the club 2 seasons ago.
Still spending vast amounts of money on players not always sensibly
This time more than any other time…
Once in a while I am shocked by a transfer not because of the fee nor the tactical fit but because I have just forgotten a player was at the club they are leaving. Andreas Pereira falls into the category a fringe player at Old Trafford he spent last season on loan at Flamenco and is now Fulham’s second signing for £10m following on heels of Portuguese international João Palhinha who they signed for £18m.
As ever with Fulham they are prepared to spend money but seem to do so in a fairly haphazard way and while the individual players are often eye-catching the overall outcome is a bit of a mess. This is just wait and see.
There is nothing haphazard about Brentford’s activity in the market. The club broke it’s transfer record twice in a week spending £14m on Aaron Hickey from Bologna and then £17m on Keane Lewis-Potter. This is in effect a new wide left set up and it does beg the question as to what might happen to the incumbents at left back and winger (Rico Henry and Yoane Wissa)
Championship Corner
Frees
Óscar Estupiñán, an interesting pickup by Hull City on a free from Vitória Guimarães. A Centre Forward, it looks like he had a bit of a breakout season last year in Portugal. Might be one to watch.
John Ruddy moves from Wolves to Birmingham City
Shane Long returns to Reading
Sheyi Ojo joins Cardiff from Liverpool
Fees
Gabriel Sara has joined Norwich City from São Paulo for £9.5m which may be the biggest single fee paid by a Championship club this window.
Rey Manaj a Centre Forward has joined Watford for £2.25m from Barcelona! I have no idea if he is any good at 25 he has been on the books of two of the giants of European Football Inter and Barcelona but barely played for either the bulk of his career has been spent in much more modest surroundings.
Josh Cullen has followed Kompany to Burnley from Anderlect, A key player for Kompany in central midfield the former West Ham man has signed for a fee of £2.7m.
Loans
Lewis Fiorini has joined Blackpool from Man City
Ian Maatsen has joined Burnley from Chelsea
Jonathan Panzo joined Coventry from Forest.
Ciaran Clark joined Sheffield United from Newcastle
Jeff Hendrick joined Reading from Newcastle
Callum Doyle joined Coventry from Man City
Of the above the standout deals are Maatsen who did well at Coventry last season. Panzo who is a very promising Centre Back.
